NIGHTS OF HALLOW

The following day, the sun rose before everyone else in the castle. The night before being cold made people spend more time cozied up in the warmth of their blankets.

However, one person remained awake throughout the night. Her red eyes stared wide open and looked hollow. With her shoulders slumped in defeat, thoughts miles away from where she sat occupied her head in defeat of her current predicament.

On the first ring of the tower bell, a knock sounded on the door to the room, and as it opened, a maid walked in with her head bowed. The maid greeted her, ”Good morning, Lady Eleanor.”

Eleanor, sitting in a daze, with her eyes staring into nothingness, stirred and turned in the direction of the maid with her head slightly down. With her fangs gone, she was ashamed to face anyone. Even with the maids, she felt her dignity and image had been ruined.

”Pack my bags, we are leaving the castle,” she finally said and turned back in the direction she had stared at before. She barely spoke a word since the day before when everything happened. Opening her mouth reminded her of the humiliation she went through that would continue when people heard about her. A pureblooded vampire without a fang was similar to mere humans in the eyes of higher vampire society.

Minutes passed into hours, and it was time for Eleanor to leave. With her maid assisting her, she walked down the hallways of the castle towards the front door.

On her way, however, to her misfortune, she met with the one whom she harboured feelings for and also the one who had ruined her.

”Greetings, your majesty.” She bowed even though the hurt of seeing him pierced through her heart.

”Morning, vampiress,” Sthena drawled, a smile on his face as usual. ”How was your night’s rest?”

”It was well,” Eleanor’s reply was short and clipped so as not to expose her fangless mouth. She clenched her hands beside her on being taunted by the king intentionally calling her a vampiress.

Sthena hummed in reply, and his eyes went behind Eleanor and the maid who carried her bags. ”Already leaving? Join us for breakfast. I wouldn’t want to send you on your way hungry.”

Eleanor gritted her teeth and made to decline the offer, but Sthena cut her off, saying,

”It wasn’t a request. You must join us. How else would you feed then, considering...” He let his words hang and stared at her mouth. He shook his head in disappointment and walked away from there.

If Eleanor was hurt earlier, now she was filled with rage that consumed her, and she wanted nothing but to burn everyone in it. But what could she do? This was the king speaking. At the back of her mind, a voice told her she had brought this upon herself.

In the dining room, everyone was seated by the time Eleanor walked in. As if on cue, they all turned to look at her, especially Lady Rosamonda, who glared daggers at her for trying to implicate the princess in her brainless scheme.

Perdita, unaware of what happened yesterday, could feel the change in the room immediately after Eleanor walked in. She turned to look at Sthena, who had a small smile on his lips. Something wasn’t right. She thought to herself.

”Serve the lady more blood,” Sthena ordered the maids, who quickly turned and poured more blood in Eleanor’s glass.

”Thank you for your generosity, your majesty, but I’m good with the one I have.” Eleanor curtly responded with a stiff smile.

”If you say so,” Sthena shrugged his shoulders. ”I was only being kind, after all, you are a guest, and feeding might be hard for you on your way home.”

”I do wonder how she would manage from now on given her state.” Lady Rosamonda added coal on Eleanor’s burning wound. She tsked and shook her head in fake pity and continued to eat.

Now, something was definitely wrong with the way everyone spoke, Perdita said to herself, her suspicions growing every second. She leaned towards Sthena to ask, ”What have you done?”

”Me? You hurt me, darling,” Sthena feigned ignorance of Perdita’s question. ”We should always be kind to our guests, and here you are asking what I have done.”

Perdita rolled her eyes at him. Knowing Sthena, when he spoke like this, she knew that something was up. She opened her mouth to speak, but at the same time, Prime Minister Elliot walked in, escorted by Daemon.

”Greetings, your majesty.” The elderly vampire greeted and exchanged bows with the other royal members. Immediately his red eyes spotted Eleanor, the young vampiress stood to her feet, her back straightened at the sight of her grandfather.

”My deepest apologies, your majesty, for the trouble my granddaughter had caused everyone. I was on my way back from the trip you sent me on when I heard what happened and immediately rushed to the castle.”

Hearing what Elliot said made Perdita stare from the elderly vampire to the king. How did what happened the day before concern the minister? Unless... Perdita’s eyes widened in surprise when she finally put the pieces together. It was Eleanor who had shot her.

”The apology shouldn’t be for me, Prime Minister Elliot. It should be for the one who was shot at and the one who was almost framed for it. Even though I have taken the punishment of your dear granddaughter into my hands, I believe you know a better punishment for her later.”

A better punishment? Eleanor’s heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened in horror. What other punishment was she to receive after being humiliated and made fangless?! Her nails dug into her palm in rage, almost drawing blood.

”Who is Lady Perdita?” Elliot asked, recognising other members of the family, he quickly noted who it was. He asked, ”How is your injury, Lady Perdita? On behalf of Eleanor, I apologise again.”

”It is a lot better than yesterday. Thank you.” Perdita replied, which also reminded her that she should act like someone who was shot, as they all thought she was a human.

To Princess Sarah, Elliot apologised too, ”My apologies to you, Princess Sarah, and to everyone affected. I do hope you forgive Eleanor’s reckless behaviour.”

Compared to the arrogant vampiress, the grandfather was more humble than she was even as a prime minister. Perdita thought while staring at the white knuckles of the lady who looked as though she would burst into a fit of rage.

Prime Minister Elliot turned to Eleanor with a reprimanding look. ”Apologise this instant. Not only did you come to the castle without consent, but you brought trouble with you. You should count yourself lucky your head didn’t head up on the scaffold!”

”My apologies to everyone. I promise not to disturb anyone from now on.” Eleanor bowed stiffly, making sure her mouth was not fully open.

”Of course, you wouldn’t. Unless you want me to use my special correctional method on you.” Sthena interjected in the exchange going on.

”Daemon, see the minister and his granddaughter out. Also, Prime Minister Elliot, the excuse with which your granddaughter used to come to the castle remains to be discussed.” Sthena dabbed the napkin on his mouth and stood to his feet. He turned to Perdita with an outstretched hand. ”Come, darling, we have a place to be at.”

We? Perdita stared questioningly at him. She took his hand, and together they walked to the castle’s entrance. However, the glare coming from Eleanor drilled holes in her back while she sucked and gritted her teeth that also reminded her of her missing fangs.

”Where are we going?” Perdita quizzed once outside with Sthena. ”Also, what punishment did you give Eleanor?”

”Concerned about your shooter?” Questioned Sthena. He held out his hand to assist Perdita climb into the carriage before joining her inside.

”I’m not,” Perdita shook her head.

”I took out her fangs,” Sthena told her. ”Feeling sorry for her now?”

Perdita stayed silent at the information. She hadn’t expected that this was the little punishment he spoke about inside the dining room. She heard Sthena speak.

”Feeling sorry for her now?” Sthena stared at her, reading every expression that crossed her face. ”If you were not a vampire, it would have been your body that would be in there and cold by now.”

His blunt reply made Perdita turn to look at him. Remembering how angry Sthena had been the day before, removing Eleanor’s fangs was the least punishment he could give her. And knowing he also did this for her warmed her heart.

”Thank you,” she said, grateful to have someone to lean on beside her.

Sthena’s features softened under her gaze. He gently brushed her hair off her face as a smile grazed the lips of Perdita. Unable to resist, he leaned in to kiss her. He teased and tasted her, their tongues rubbing against each other until their lips screamed to be set free.

”You keep getting sweeter each day, my sweet girl.” Sthena’s gaze took in the flushed cheeks of Perdita and her eyes that tried to stay on him. ”It’s such a shame we are heading out.” He smiled sweetly at her, knowing fully well how they both affected each other.

Sthena tapped on the carriage’s body, and the coachman took it as his cue to drive, and in no time, the carriage’s wheels sped through the driveway of the castle and out into the road.